States jockey for position as the U.S. Education Department readies billions of dollars in "Race to the Top" awards--the stimulus program's grand prize. Even before they've finished spending their first block of federal stimulus aid, states are getting a head start in a national "race to the top" for better public education, without even knowing rules to the game. With up to $4.35 billion in competitive grants for education reform at stake, the most aggressive states are putting together strategic grant-bidding teams, revamping their laws, and parsing speeches by the U.S. Secretary of Education for clues to what might give them an edge. The Race to the Top Fund is a small slice of the nearly $100 billion aimed at education in the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Congress approved in February. But in tough budget times, states are eyeing money from the fund as the stimulus measure's grand prize. Winning one of the grants will give a state bragging rights--and a chance to advance key education improvement efforts through stimulus funding, which in many cases is being used mainly to plug budget holes.